Magnetic tape media continues to remain a viable alternative to other storage media (such as hard disk drives and optical media), particularly for long-term data storage (such as backups), due to the higher bit density and lower cost per bit typically offered by tape media. Unfortunately, backup systems are typically unable to remove or delete individual files (such as files containing sensitive information) from tape media due to various inherent limitations of tape media.
For example, tape drivers typically store data on tape media in a sequential manner by writing a first file to the beginning of a new tape (potentially followed by an end-of-file (EOF) marker), a second file immediately after the first file (again potentially followed by an EOF marker), and so on until the end of the tape is reached. Conventional tape drivers also typically append each write to the tape with an end-of-data (EOD) marker in order to mark or identify where new writes to the tape should begin. Because EOD markers signify the end of data on a tape, any data located after an EOD marker on a tape will be inaccessible.
Unfortunately, because tape drivers typically append each write to a tape with an EOD marker, any attempt by a backup system to delete an individual file (by, e.g., replacing the file's contents with zeros) from a tape will, due to the EOD marker appended to end of the overwritten file, effectively render each file that is located after the overwritten file inaccessible. Thus, with the possible exception of the last file located on a tape, backup systems are typically unable to remove or delete individual files from a tape without inadvertently removing access to additional data and files on the tape. As such, the instant disclosure identifies a need for systems and methods for effectively removing access to individual files stored on tape media.